Downsizing services, Waterloo Region

Downsizing help in Kitchener-Waterloo, from the first drawer to the last picture on the wall

One crew sorts the house with you, packs it, moves it and sets up the new home. You get a free walkthrough and one written price before anything starts.

What downsizing actually involves

Most people think of downsizing as a move. The move is the short part. The long part is the forty years of belongings in the house, and the fact that the new place holds maybe a third of it. Somebody has to go through every room, every closet and every box in the basement and make a decision about each thing.

That somebody is usually a son or daughter with a job, a family of their own, and a parent who is not ready to be rushed. It gets done on weekends, it takes months, and it is hard on everyone. That is the job we take off your hands.

Simply Settled is a downsizing company. We are not a moving company that added a senior package, and we are not a care agency. Downsizing and moving people into their next home is all we do, across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph.

How we do it, in four steps

Every job follows the same shape. You can step in wherever yours begins.

The walkthrough. We walk the home with you, look at what is going and where it is going, and hand you a written plan and one written price. It is free and there is no obligation.
The sorting. You decide what moves, what goes to family, what is donated and what is sold. We do the lifting, the labelling and the boxing. This happens days or weeks ahead of the move, at the pace of the person moving.
Moving day. Everything is packed, protected and moved. Furniture is wrapped. Boxes are labelled by room so nothing is a mystery at the other end.
The setup. We unpack, make the bed, fill the kitchen cupboards and hang the pictures. The first night in the new place should feel like home, not like a storage unit.

When the old house needs to be emptied and cleaned after the move, that is us too. Same crew, same plan, same bill.

Want to talk it through first? Call or text (289) 670-3146, or book a free walkthrough.

Nothing leaves the house unless they say so

This is the rule families ask about most, so it is worth saying plainly. The person moving makes the decisions. We do not sort behind anyone's back, and we do not hurry someone past a box of photographs because the schedule says so.

A good sorting day has a rhythm to it. We start in the rooms that carry the least feeling, like the linen closet and the garage, and build toward the harder ones. We set up clear spots for keep, family, donate and sell, so nothing gets lost in the shuffle. Things that are undecided go in their own pile and get looked at again later. Nobody has to decide everything today.

If you would like someone to simply be with your parent on the big days, we offer a Care Day. A companion spends the day with the person moving while the crew works. It is company and a steady hand, not medical or personal care.

What happens to everything that is not coming

A house that has been lived in for decades holds far more than the next home can take. We handle all of it, so you are not left with a garage full of leftovers once the truck pulls away.

Family pieces. We set aside and label what is going to children and grandchildren, and can deliver to more than one address on the same job.
Donations. Items in good condition go to a local registered charity partner, and you receive a donation receipt.
Resale. Valuables you would rather not keep can be sold through our auction partner. This is opt in, and the proceeds help offset the cost of the move.
Storage. If a decision is not ready to be made, some things can go to storage and be dealt with later.
Everything else. What is truly at the end of its life is removed and disposed of properly.

One crew instead of five phone calls

A typical downsizing job takes four or five separate companies. A sorting or organizing service, movers, a junk hauler, a cleaner, sometimes a stager. That is five schedules to line up and five invoices, and if one of them slips, the rest fall over.

We do all of it ourselves. One team, one schedule, one number to call and one bill at the end. It also means the people who packed the kitchen are the same people unpacking it, so the good knives end up in the drawer beside the stove where they have always been.

How pricing works

Every home is different, so we quote on yours. At the free walkthrough we see what the job will take and give you one written price that covers the planning, sorting, packing, movers, the truck and the setup. There is no hourly meter running, and no second bill from a moving company.

If the house is being sold, ask us about our real estate partner. We work hand in hand with a local brokerage. We handle the downsizing, they handle the sale, and both run on one plan. When the home is listed with our partner, the transition is included.

Questions families ask

How far ahead should we call?

As early as you like. A few weeks of notice lets the sorting happen at a comfortable pace. If a suite has come up and the date is close, call anyway. We will tell you honestly what can be done in the time there is.

Does my parent have to be there for the sorting?

For the decisions, yes, as much as they are able and willing. For the lifting, boxing and hauling, no. Many families have us work in short sessions so the days do not become exhausting.

We live out of town. Can you handle it without us?

Yes. A lot of the families we work with are a few hours away or in another province. We walk the home, agree the plan with you by phone, and keep you posted with photos as the work moves along.

Do you only work with seniors?

Most of our work is seniors moving to a smaller home, a condo or a retirement residence. We also help anyone facing a houseful of belongings and a smaller place to put them.

What areas do you cover?

Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph, and the towns around them. If you are just outside that, ask and we will give you a straight answer.